Transactions Notes 3/31/11 - 4/6/11

This week saw us set our 25 man roster to begin the season, the announcement of the four full season minor league rosters, and another set of releases. Let's break it down.

3/31/11
15 Day DL:
- Aaron Cook

The move was retroactive to March 22nd, the maximum ten days. Cook crossed eligibility to return to the team yesterday, but is far from ready. He's still expected back in May.

Purchased:
- Jason Giambi

Taking Cook's spot on the 25 man roster was the only non-roster player to make the team out of Spring in Giambi. He makes $850,000 this season, and his contract produced a mutual option year for next season upon purchase. He took the recently traded Michael McKenry's spot on the 40 man roster.

Reassigned:
- Matt Pagnozzi
- Willy Taveras

The final two players cut from the Spring, Pagnozzi and Taveras are both candidates for the AAA roster, which has yet yo be announced at the time of writing.

We continue into the regular season after the jump.

4/4/11
Released:
- Craig Baker
- Jason Botts
- Johnny Bowden
- Eric Duncan
- Nathan Hines
- Ben Petralli
- Josh Powers
- Chris Sampson
- Greg Smith

This next set of releases became official on April 4th, though we know from Twitter that these players were allowed to leave camp earlier. Botts, Duncan, Petralli and Sampson were new to the organization this year as minor league free agents. Duncan at one point was the leading candidate for the starting third base job at AAA, but the presence of Matt Macri and eventually Josh Fields lost him the spot.

Baker, Bowden and Hines were multi-year organizational players, with Powers lasting just one year in the Rockies organization after signing him in 2010. Baker had a successful career with the team, even making 2010's list of non-roster invitees, but injury followed by a slow recovery made it difficult to find a place for him in the system. Bowden spent much of last season bouncing around the organization's different level covering as a third string catcher when needed. Petralli and Powers were also both catchers, showing how difficult it is as a catcher to keep a spot in an organization that uses generally no more than two at each level.

Then there's Smith, whose place in the organization was dramatically lowered as he struggled with performance and injury in the minors after his early 2010 demotion. He was removed from the 40 Man Roster last season, and after a poor Spring, allowed release along with the other players above.

4/6/11
15 Day DL:
- Ubaldo Jimenez

After his thumb injury healed more slowly than would have been liked, the Rockies made a safe bet in placing JImenez on the disabled list. He will miss at least two starts. The move is retroactive to April 2nd, allowing Jimenez to return on April 17th if he is ready to go.

Recalled:
- Greg Reynolds

Reynolds was expected to get the opening day start for the Sky Sox today, but will be filling in Ubaldo Jimenez's spot for the time being. He was recalled ten days into his optional assignment.

Released:
- Gabe Suarez

Another player who was new to the organization this season, Suarez (who is Denver born) had played in the organization once before in 2006. He failed to land a utility spot on a minor league roster, and wasn't deemed an extended spring candidate.

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All four full season minor league teams begin play today, but only Asheville A and Modesto A+ announced their starting rosters in advance. Tulsa's roster has been finalized on their roster page, only slightly different from their exhibition roster.

You can read Andrew Fisher's breakdowns of the Asheville and Modesto rosters at the links provided. View Tulsa's final roster here. Colorado Springs roster was announced at the last minute, viewable here.

You can also see all of the minor league rosters at Rockies Roster.